The 17th Annual Thea Awards presented by AECOM Beyond All Boundaries by Judith Rubin Images on the screen combine with effects in the theater to draw guests into the drama of World War II at the National World War II Museum’s Beyond All Boundaries show in the Solomon Victory Theatre. Photos courtesy of the World War II Museum. The theatre’s raked seating is cocooned conceptualized as being projected beyond snugly within the curve of a projection the plane of the screen, as if the screen were scrim 115’-wide by 28’-tall. Giving depth a proscenium. The aesthetic was painterly, to the illusion are special effects that work rather than photorealistic. The rich color in concert with the action onscreen, and a palette, perspective, and POV were based Since opening in November 2009, the host of physical props that are revealed by in dimensional physical space rather than a National World War II Museum expansion lighting when they fly overhead or emerge 2D screen. Performers were shot on film in New Orleans has drawn glowing acclaim from the pit. Additional projections appears and composited into a scene most often and healthy visitor numbers. The new, on a secondary screen about 25’ behind at a 1:1 scale, to appear life-sized. At the 70,000-sq.-ft., $60-million complex’s venues the main scrim and three smaller screens in same time, the real-world physics of actual are The Solomon Victory Theatre, Stage front that raise and lower from the pit. theater did not constrain the process. Door Canteen, and The American Sector The dramatic scale of audience to screen The Normandy D-Day landing is the most restaurant: the first phase of a $300-million was part of the core concept for putting elaborately realized battle scene. The film project to develop the museum’s six- people in the middle of the experience. imagery interplays with physical set pieces: acre campus, set for completion in 2015. Theatrical scenic and set pieces were part of five tank traps rising up from the pit. The grand opening celebration included the concept, so the creative team exercised Other sequences are fully CG-animated, a retrospective honoring the museum’s theatrical license, approaching each scene the biggest of which depicts US B29s founder, the noted historian Stephen E. thinking what they’d do in a traditional firebombing Japan from the viewpoint of Ambrose. theatre environment rather than a film someone inside the plane, accompanied by The central feature of the redeveloped documentary. Elements of the film were Jesse Eisenberg’s reading of a graphic quote museum is the 250-seat Solomon Victory considered as cinematic representations from a veteran who had been there. The Theatre, the home of Beyond All Boundaries, of theatrical elements - such as scenic, creative team were vigilant in curatorical a 45-minute, 4D multimedia show that tells lighting, and performers - and images were accuracy – making sure material was the story of America’s experience of the war and endeavors to preserve the voices of WW II veterans and eyewitnesses. “It was in one of our several iterations when we sat down with Tom Hanks and he suggested, ‘Could we tell this in the voices of the people who were there?” recalls show producer and creative director Phil Hettema. Tom Hanks was Beyond All Boundaries executive producer and the Dr. Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, museum president/CEO, was producer. With Hanks doubling as narrator, the show features an all-star voice cast including Kevin Bacon, Blythe Danner, John Goodman, Neil Patrick Harris and Gary Sinise. Judith Rubin (www.judithrubin.blogspot.com is a freelance editor and publicist specializing in the Experience Industry. She is TEA publications editor. This article is excerpted from the original version in Lighting&Sound America magazine, published by PLASA. Reprinted with permission. Visit www.lightingandsoundamerica.com. The 17th Annual Thea Awards presented by AECOM vetted by historians. The tools of 4D were Several key project creatives were involved gap between the “Greatest Generation” applied in moderation, to create setting a couple of years before their contracts that is now fast dying out and the younger and emotion and enhance the theatrical were formalized, helping set preliminary generations of today and tomorrow whose suspension of disbelief: It wasn’t a ‘ride,’ it budgets, talk over preliminary designs and connections to and understanding of World was placemaking. ultimately sell the project to the museum. War II may be tenuous--in contrast to many Custom-made set pieces include the B-17 Doing prep work, ‘on spec’ before the of the creatives on these projects, whose bomber nose section for the scene in which job is actually awarded is a calculated risk parents or grandparents experienced the the front fuselage of the plane travels down that attests to the high level of trust in the war. Phil Hettema’s own personal tie was from the catwalk into the theatre space. business relationships around Beyond All a powerful one - his father, David Hettema, The scene is a big factory. A worker waves Boundaries. was an Air Force pilot in the war, flew B-17s to a crane to bring in the nose cone for a This automated theatrical presentation, with and conducted 30 missions over Germany. big bomber. The prop comes in and mates its layers of projection, effects and surround But like many World War II vets, he rarely, if with the screen. sound also has layers upon layers of control ever, spoke of his experiences with his family. to deliver the experience again and again The museum afforded him and many others Other dramatic props that enhance the the opportunity to share their stories. sense of authentic immersion are the tank with precise timing and sequencing. Control traps for the Normandy beach scene. consoles and data distribution systems During the D-Day sequence, 3D tank traps run a host of fixtures and other devices rise up from the pit on mast lifts, coming producing or contributing to effects such as into view in front of the scrim. At the same the choreographed searchlight sequences, time, behind the scrim, 2-D ones go up and the nuclear explosion (simulated with down on a pneumatic, counterweighted sound, wind, vibration and strobes), the mechanism. They sit onstage at right angles snow effects, and more. to the audience, behind a 6‘wall. “The National World War II Museum must Another formidable element is the collect, record and pass on their stories Auschwitz guard tower scenic that rises out for the next generation,” says Phil Satre, of the pit in front of the scrim, and others chairman of the Museum’s national board of that raise and lower the Tokyo skyline scenic trustees. With experiential exhibits such as profiles behind the scrim. Beyond All Boundaries backed by collections, the museum is endeavoring to bridge the Congratulations to the National WWII Museum and e Hettema Group for Beyond All Boundaries! Experience Media wow. Beyond All Boundaries at the National WWII Museum Media Design & Production Wow by Mousetrappe for The Hettema Group with Executive Producer Tom Hanks Iconic Creative, Media and Projections. wow.mousetrappe.com The 17th Annual Thea Awards presented by AECOM 17th Annual Thea Awards Project Directors: Award for Outstanding Achievement The National World War II Museum, Bob Farnsworth, The Hettema Group, Anthony Pruett Beyond All Boundaries Allison Diamond, Asst. To Tom Hanks Solomon Victory Theater The National World War II Museum, New Orleans, LA, USA Research Team (Museum Attraction) The National World War II Museum Seth Paridon, Tom Czekanski, Joey Balfour, Tommy Lofton Narrated by Tom Hanks The Hettema Group Featuring the voices of Diana Cimadamore, Laura Colon, Corrine Cunningham Adam Beech: Pvt. Ira Hayes; 2nd Lt. Daniel Inouye Kevin Bacon: Robert Sherro, Time Magazine Correspondent Media Production Corbin Bleu: Eddie W. Robinson; Sgt. Dan Levin Doug Yellin, Producer Patricia Clarkson: Marguerite Higgins, New York Herald Tribune Daren Ulmer, Production Design Correspondent Susan Beth Smith, Assoc. Producer Kevin Connolly: Donald Sanborn; Pvt. Raymond Howell Mousetrappe, Inc., Visual Effects/Post Production James Cromwell: Maj. Gen. Alexander Archer Vandegrift; Fleet Tim Williams, Music Scoring And Conducting Adm. William Halsey Bob Wackerman, Paul Freeman/Audio By The Bay LLC, Sound Blythe Danner: Elsa Maxwell, New York Post Columnist Design And Production Viola Davis: Hortense Johnson, Arsenal Worker Yael Pardess, Art Direction Jesse Eisenberg: Lt. Fiske Hanley; Sgt. Benjamin Mckinney Jennifer Garner: Kate Grant, Ship Welder; Carol Lynn Heggen, Red Theatrical Production Cross Volunteer Daniel Ionazzi, Scenic Design John Goodman: Capt. Edwin Simmons Steven Young, Lisa Passamonte Green, Michael Mahlum/Visual Neil Patrick Harris: 1st Lt. David Hettema; Sgt. William Manchester Terrain LLC, Lighting Design Jay Hernandez: Manuel Castro Vara; Lt. J.T. Shea Paul Freeman, Audio Sound Design Emile Hirsch: Pvt. Don Jackson Benedict; Cpl. Gordon Carson Bob Chambers/It’s Alive Co., Technical Supervision Kevin Jonas: Mike Mervosh Susan Cummings, Technical Manager Tom Kane: Edward R. Murrow, CBS News Correspondent Justin Long: Cpl. James R. Garrett, Sgt. John H. Morris Technical And Production Credits Tobey Maguire: Pvt. George Strang Jason Mckinley/Radical 3d, 3d Animation Joseph Mazzello: Pvt. Eugene B. Sledge Cedar Conner, Lead Compositor Paul Mccrane: Pvt. Kurt Vonnegut Matilda Production Services, Inc., Media Production Daran Norris: 1940’s Newscaster Wendell Pierce: Sgt. Thomas McPhatter